Draft gear



March 22, 1960 E. H. BLATTNER DRAFT GEAR 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed NOV. 10, 1955 Inventor: Emil H. Blattner \iill his Attorney March 22, 1960 E. H. BLATTNER DRAFT GEAR 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Nov. 10, 1955 Inventor: Emil H. Blattner his Attorney United tates DRAFT GEAR Emit H. Blattner, Williamsville, N.Y., assignor to Symington Wayne Corporation, Depew, N.Y., a corporation of Maryland Application November 10, 1955, Serial No. 546,230

Claims. (Cl. 213-41) This invention relates to draft rigging and has for its primary object the provision of an improved selective travel rubber draft gear and associated rigging whereby longer travel and correspondingly greater capacity is obtained to cushion buffing loads without interfering with operation of the associated coupler.

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved rubber draft gear of the plural cushion type which is preassembleable as a unit with an associated yoke and wherein a floating follower block interposed between the cushions serves during assembly to determine the precompression of both cushions and on installation to transmit buffing forces between the cushions and block or lock out one of the cushions under draft forces.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will appear hereinafter in the detailed description, be particularly pointed out in the appended claims, and be illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure l is a side elevational view of the rubber draft gear and associated rigging of the present invention with portions broken away and shown in section to more clearly illustrate certain of the details of construction.

Figure 2 is a plan view of the structure of Figure 1 with portions broken away and shown in section to more clearly illustrate certain of the details of construction;

Figure 3 is a fragmentary horizontal sectional view a showing the keying of the floating follower block to the center sills; and

Figure 4 is a fragmentary side elevational view of a portion of one of the associated center sills.

Referring now in detail to the drawings, in which like reference characters designate like parts, the improved rubber draft gear and associated rigging of the present invention is especially designed for application to an oversize draft gear pocket such as is now contemplated by the A.A.R. and, although in certain of its features applicable to couplers in general, is particularly adapted for application to a universally swiveling coupler such as the A.A.R. alternate standard type F coupler. In the conventional application of type F couplers, the portion of which here shown is designated as 1, provision is made for the coupler to travel inwardly a maximum of two and one-half inches under buffing forces. Were this limitation on travel to be retained, while increasing the capacity of draft gears to compensate for the increased shocks to which a railway car is subjected in service, the cushioning mechanism usually would be much stiffer-acting than those now normally employed, with consequent increased risk of damage to lading. The disclosed embodiment of the present invention contemplates increasing the travel under buffing forces to some four and one-half inches and by the particular arrangement and construction of its components, retains the soft action characteristic of rubber gears, while aflordingcapacity more than adequate for any standards now under consideration.

In the illustrated embodiment of the invention, the plural cushion rubber draft gear 2 and associated yoke 3 are fitted into a draft gear pocket 4 of increased longi- 2,929,518 Patented Mar. 22, 1950 ice tudinal dimension within conventional Z-shape center sills 5, forming part of the underframe of an associated railway car (not shown). Bounding this pocket at its inner end is a combined back stop and center filler 6 having a forwardly opening slot 7 between its integral stop lugs 8 of sufficient extent to accommodate the additional travel in buff for which the draft gear 2 is adapted. The forward end of the pocket is bounded by a combined striking casting and resilient coupler carrier 9 of the kind usual for type F couplers except that the normal spacing between its integral striker 10 and the horn 1a of the associated coupler 1 is increased to accommodate the longer travel in bufi by correspondingly shortening the rearward extent of its integral front draft lugs 11, it otherwise having the usual carrier pocket 12 in which seats a resilient coupler carrier 13 for supporting the shank 14 of the coupler.

The draft gear 2 is comprised of a plurality of rubber cushions 15 arranged in tandem, each preferably of the type known as Waugh-Mats and composed of alternating rubber pads 16 and metal plates 17 with adjoining pairs of the rubberpads connected through the interven ing of the plates to form rubber spring elements. At either end of the draft gear are the usual front and rear follower blocks 18 and 19, respectively, the front block adapted to react against the front draft lugs 11 and the rear block against the rear stop lugs 8 in accordance with the direction of the longitudinal force applied to the draft gear. Interposed between and abutting the confronting or inner ends of the rubber cushions 15 is a floating follower block 20, transversely or laterally, here horizontally, through which extends a key slot 21 for the reception of a draft key 22.

Encircling or embracing the draft gear 2 and the follower blocks 18, 19 and 20 is the yoke 3, preferably a vertical yoke, having longer than normal longitudinally extending, vertically spaced arms or jaws 23 joined at their inner ends by an integral transverse or vertical rear wall 24 and at their outer ends by transversely spaced side walls or webs 25 of a hood 26. Within the hood 26 and between the arms 23 of the yoke 3 is received the shank 14 of the coupler 1, the latter, since a type F coupler, being connected to the yoke through the usual vertical coupler connecting pin 27 and having it spherically con vex butt 28 fitted in a correspondingly concave socket 29 in the front follower block 18. The end portions of the arms 23 surrounding the vertical openings 30 therethrough for receiving the coupler pin 27 are thickened on their inner faces in the usual manner for strength, thus providing on either arm, slightly forward of the assembled position of the coupler butt 28, a pair of vertically directed instanding shoulders 31 adapted under circumstances hereinafter to be described to serve as abutments for the front follower block 18.

The rubber cushions 15, follower blocks 18, 19 and 20 and yoke 3 are intended to be assembled as a unit and installed as such in the draft gear pocket 4 prior to connection of the yoke to the coupler. Having a floating follower block between its rubber cushions 15, this unit is especially adapted for assembly by the method described in my co-pending application, Serial No. 542,013, filed October 21, 1955, for applying the desired precompression to the rubber cushions. In accordance with that method, one of the rubber cushions 15, the adjacent of the frontand rear follower blocks 18 and 19 and the floating follower block 20' are first inserted in the yoke and pressure in then applied through the floating follower block to com! press the cushion towards the corresponding end of the yoke to the extent" desired. This compression, on subse quent insertion of the other rubber cushion and its follower block and release of the floating follower block, is distributed uniformly over both cushions and holds the front and rear follower blocks tightly between the shoulders31 and rear wall 24 of the yoke. The assembled unit, with temporary precompression blocks (not shown) of the type usually used for this: purpose interposed between the shoulders 31 and the front follower block 18 to reduce the length of the draft gear during installation to less than that of the draft gear pocket .4 is installed in the usual fashion and held in the pocket by riveting or otherwise fixing tie plates 32 to the center sills 5 across the bottom of the pocket. 7 Wheninstalled, the floating follower block 20 is connected to the center sills 5 by the draft key 22 which rides in aligned rearwardly elongated slots 33 in the sills, the latter being reinforced about these slots by suitable means, such as the illustrated 'cheek plates34. j j

The draft gear 2 is fittable within the 5' 5%" car overhang standard for type F couplers, despite its high capacity and long travel, by cutting 'or setting back the rear stop lugs 8 relative to the center post 35, 'as well as cutting forward or shortening the front draft lugs 11. The correspondingly elongated yoke 3, were its front end conventional, would have the lower of its arms 23 interfered with,'on forward movement of the yoke under draft forces, by the rear wall of the pocket 12 of the coupler carrier 9. It is therefore necessary that at least the lower of these arms be cut back so as to be substantially coterrninous, forwardly, with the hood 26. I

With the above construction, buffing forces applied to the coupler 1 will be transmitted through its butt 28 to the front follower block 18 and the forward of the rubber cushions 15. The floating follower block 20, then beingenabled to move rearwardly to the limit of therearward elongation of the slots 33 in the center sills 5, will move rearwardly under the same force and transmit that force From the above detailed description, it will be apparent that there has been provided an improved draft rigging which, while requiring in its preferred embodiment an elongated draft gear pocket, is eontainable within the overhang conventionally provided for railway freight cars. 'It is also apparent that, with its plurality of rubber cushions and interposed, dual-purpose floating follower block, the draft rigging provides a capacity in excess of any now contemplated and afiords soft action through selective travel to compensate for the greater forces to which it is subjected in bufi. It will be understood that the described and disclosed embodimentis merely exemplary of the invention and that all modifications are intended to be included which do not depart either from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the appended claims.

Having described the invention what is claimed is:

1. In railway draft rigging, the combination with center sills, of a yoke insertable therebetween and connectable to an associated coupler, a plurality of rubber cushions arranged in tandem within said yoke, a floatingfollower block within said yoke and separating said rubber cushions, and means connecting said'follower block to said center sills for limited movement in one direction relative thereto, said floating follower block transmitting longitudinal forces in one direction between said cushions and blocking one of said rubber cushions from longitudinal forces in the opposite direction.

2. In railway draft rigging, the combination with center sills, of a yoke'insertable therebetween, a follower within applying force to precompress one of said rubber cushions excessively prior to insertion of another of said rubber cushions and on release, distributing said force equally between said cushions, and said follower block on installation being connected to said center sills for blocking one of said rubber cushions from longitudinal forces in one direction.

3. In railway draft rigging the combination with center sills, longitudinally spaced front and rear stop lugs fixed to said sills and slots in side walls of said sills intermediate said draft lugs, of front and rear followers engageable with the corresponding of said draft lugs, a pair of rubber cushions arranged in tandem between said followers, a floating follower block between and spacing said rubber cushions, a vertical yoke containing said rubber cushions, followers and follower block, and key means connecting said follower block to said sill through said slots for limited movement of said follower block in one longitudinal direction relative thereto, said follower block transmitting longitudinal forces in said one direction between said rubber cushions and blocking one of'said rubber cushions from longitudinal forces in the opposite direction. i

4. In railway draft rigging, the combination with transversely spaced center sills, a coupler having a shank extending thereinto and longitudinally spaced stop lugs within and fixed to said sills, of front and rear followers each engageable with the corresponding of said stop lugs, a pair of precompressed rubber cushions arranged in tandem between said followers, a floating follower block between and spacing said rubber cushions and having a key slot extending transversely therethrough, a vertical yoke containing said rubber cushions, followers and follower block and connected for universal relative angling to said coupler, slots in laterally spaced side walls of said center sills and laterally aligned with and elongated rearwardy relative to said key slot, and key means extending through said slots, said rubber cushions through said floating follower block acting in series under buffing forces to the rearward extent of said slots in said sills, and the forward of said rubber cushions being blocked from draft forces by said follower block.

5. In railway draft rigging, the combination with cen ter sills, of a yoke insertable therebetween and connectable to an associated coupler, a plurality of rubber cush-' ions arranged in tandem within said yoke, a floating fol lower block within said yoke and separating said rubber cushions, and means connecting said follower block to said center sills for limited movement in a rearward direction relative thereto, said floating follower block transmitting longitudinal forces in said rearward direction be tween said cushions and blocking one of said rubber cushions from longitudinal forces in a forward direction.

' I References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Mealing et al May 5, 1942' was: m 

